1
|
Le Noir de Carlan C, Kaarlejärvi E, De Tender C, Heinecke T, Eskelinen A, Verbruggen E. Shifts in mycorrhizal types of fungi and plants in response to fertilisation, warming and herbivory in a tundra grassland. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 243:1190-1204. [PMID: 38742310 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Climate warming is severely affecting high-latitude regions. In the Arctic tundra, it may lead to enhanced soil nutrient availability and interact with simultaneous changes in grazing pressure. It is presently unknown how these concurrently occurring global change drivers affect the root-associated fungal communities, particularly mycorrhizal fungi, and whether changes coincide with shifts in plant mycorrhizal types. We investigated changes in root-associated fungal communities and mycorrhizal types of the plant community in a 10-yr factorial experiment with warming, fertilisation and grazing exclusion in a Finnish tundra grassland. The strongest determinant of the root-associated fungal community was fertilisation, which consistently increased potential plant pathogen abundance and had contrasting effects on the different mycorrhizal fungal types, contingent on other treatments. Plant mycorrhizal types went through pronounced shifts, with warming favouring ecto- and ericoid mycorrhiza but not under fertilisation and grazing exclusion. Combination of all treatments resulted in dominance by arbuscular mycorrhizal plants. However, shifts in plant mycorrhizal types vs fungi were mostly but not always aligned in their magnitude and direction. Our results show that our ability to predict shifts in symbiotic and antagonistic fungal communities depend on simultaneous consideration of multiple global change factors that jointly alter plant and fungal communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Coline Le Noir de Carlan
- Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Elina Kaarlejärvi
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
| | - Caroline De Tender
- Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 96-109, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thilo Heinecke
- Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Anu Eskelinen
- Ecology & Genetics, University of Oulu, PO Box 8000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Erik Verbruggen
- Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Grazing and light modify Silene latifolia responses to nutrients and future climate. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276789. [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered climate, nutrient enrichment and changes in grazing patterns are important environmental and biotic changes in temperate grassland systems. Singly and in concert these factors can influence plant performance and traits, with consequences for species competitive ability, and thus for species coexistence, community composition and diversity. However, we lack experimental tests of the mechanisms, such as competition for light, driving plant performance and traits under nutrient enrichment, grazer exclusion and future climate. We used transplants of Silene latifolia, a widespread grassland forb in Europe, to study plant responses to interactions among climate, nutrients, grazing and light. We recorded transplant biomass, height, specific leaf area (SLA) and foliar carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N) in full-factorial combinations of future climate treatment, fertilization, grazer exclusion and light addition via LED-lamps. Future climate and fertilization together increased transplant height but only in unlighted plots. Light addition increased SLA in ambient climate, and decreased C:N in unfertilized plots. Further, transplants had higher biomass in future climatic conditions when protected from grazers. In general, grazing had a strong negative effect on all measured variables regardless of added nutrients and light. Our results show that competition for light may lead to taller individuals and interacts with climate and nutrients to affect traits related to resource-use. Furthermore, our study suggests grazing may counteract the benefits of future climate on the biomass of species such as Silene latifolia. Consequently, grazers and light may be important modulators of individual plant performance and traits under nutrient enrichment and future climatic conditions.
Collapse
|
3
|
Werner CM, Tuomi M, Eskelinen A. Trait-based responses to cessation of nutrient enrichment in a tundra plant community. Oecologia 2021; 197:675-684. [PMID: 34716491 PMCID: PMC8585805 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05064-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Plant communities worldwide show varied responses to nutrient enrichment-including shifts in species identity, decreased diversity, and changes in functional trait composition-but the factors determining community recovery after the cessation of nutrient addition remain uncertain. We manipulated nutrient levels in a tundra community for 6 years of nutrient addition followed by 8 years of recovery. We examined how community recovery was mediated by traits related to plant resource-use strategy and plant ability to modify their environment. Overall, we observed persistent effects of fertilization on plant communities. We found that plants with fast-growing traits, including higher specific leaf area, taller stature and lower foliar C:N, were more likely to show a persistent increase in fertilized plots than control plots, maintaining significantly higher cover in fertilized plots 8 years after cessation of fertilization. Additionally, although graminoids responded most strongly to the initial fertilization treatment, forb species were more vulnerable to fertilization effects in the long-term, showing persistent decline and no recovery in 8 years. Finally, these persistent fertilization effects were accompanied by modified environmental conditions, including persistent increases in litter depth and soil phosphorous and lower soil C:N. Our results demonstrate the potential for lasting effects of nutrient enrichment in nutrient-limited systems and identify species traits related to rapid growth and nutrient-use efficiency as the main predictors of the persistence of nutrient enrichment effects. These findings highlight the usefulness of trait-based approach for understanding the persistent feedbacks of nutrient enrichment, plant dynamics, and niche construction via litter and nutrient build-up.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chhaya M Werner
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ), 04318, Leipzig, Germany.
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, 90014, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Maria Tuomi
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, 9019, Tromso, Norway
| | - Anu Eskelinen
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ), 04318, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Shay JE, Pennington LK, Mandussi Montiel-Molina JA, Toews DJ, Hendrickson BT, Sexton JP. Rules of Plant Species Ranges: Applications for Conservation Strategies. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.700962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Earth is changing rapidly and so are many plant species’ ranges. Here, we synthesize eco-evolutionary patterns found in plant range studies and how knowledge of species ranges can inform our understanding of species conservation in the face of global change. We discuss whether general biogeographic “rules” are reliable and how they can be used to develop adaptive conservation strategies of native plant species across their ranges. Rules considered include (1) factors that set species range limits and promote range shifts; (2) the impact of biotic interactions on species range limits; (3) patterns of abundance and adaptive properties across species ranges; (4) patterns of gene flow and their implications for genetic rescue, and (5) the relationship between range size and conservation risk. We conclude by summarizing and evaluating potential species range rules to inform future conservation and management decisions. We also outline areas of research to better understand the adaptive capacity of plants under environmental change and the properties that govern species ranges. We advise conservationists to extend their work to specifically consider peripheral and novel populations, with a particular emphasis on small ranges. Finally, we call for a global effort to identify, synthesize, and analyze prevailing patterns or rules in ecology to help speed conservation efforts.
Collapse
|
5
|
Jessen MT, Kaarlejärvi E, Olofsson J, Eskelinen A. Mammalian herbivory shapes intraspecific trait responses to warmer climate and nutrient enrichment. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:6742-6752. [PMID: 33020977 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Variation in intraspecific traits is one important mechanism that can allow plant species to respond to global changes. Understanding plant trait responses to environmental changes such as grazing patterns, nutrient enrichment and climate warming is, thus, essential for predicting the composition of future plant communities. We measured traits of eight common tundra species in a fully factorial field experiment with mammalian herbivore exclusion, fertilization, and passive warming, and assessed how trait responsiveness to the treatments was associated with abundance changes in those treatments. Herbivory exhibited the strongest impact on traits. Exclusion of herbivores increased vegetative plant height by 50% and specific leaf area (SLA) by 19%, and decreased foliar C:N by 11%; fertilization and warming also increased height and SLA but to a smaller extent. Herbivory also modulated intraspecific height, SLA and foliar C:N responses to fertilization and warming, and these interactions were species-specific. Furthermore, herbivory affected how trait change translated into relative abundance change: increased height under warming and fertilization was more positively related to abundance change inside fences than in grazed plots. Our findings highlight the key role of mammalian herbivory when assessing intraspecific trait change in tundra and its consequences for plant performance under global changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Theresa Jessen
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elina Kaarlejärvi
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johan Olofsson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umea University, Umea, Sweden
| | - Anu Eskelinen
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yan X, Diez J, Huang K, Li S, Luo X, Xu X, Su F, Jiang L, Guo H, Hu S. Beyond resource limitation: an expanded test of the niche dimension hypothesis for multiple types of niche axes. Oecologia 2020; 193:689-699. [PMID: 32681295 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04713-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The niche dimension hypothesis predicts that more species can coexist given a greater number of niche axes along which they partition the environment. Although this hypothesis has been broadly supported by nutrient enrichment experiments, its applicability to other ecological factors, such as natural enemies and abiotic stresses, has not been vigorously tested. Here, we examined the generality of the niche dimension hypothesis by experimentally manipulating both resource and non-resource niche dimensions-nitrogen limitation, pathogens and low-temperature stress-in a Tibetan alpine meadow. We found that decreases in niche dimensions led to a significant reduction in species richness, consistent with results from nutrient addition studies. However, different niche variables uniquely affected the plant communities. While nitrogen had largest effects on both community biomass and species richness, pathogens and low-temperature stress, in combination with nitrogen, had synergistic effects on them. Our results provide direct evidence demonstrating that both resource and non-resource niche dimensions can influence species coexistence. These findings suggest that other non-resource factors need to be taken into consideration to better predict the community assembly and control over biodiversity, particularly under the future multifaceted global change scenarios.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuebin Yan
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jeffrey Diez
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Kailing Huang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shaopeng Li
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.,Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Xi Luo
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinyu Xu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fanglong Su
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Hui Guo
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Shuijin Hu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Testing invasion filters for the alpine: the roles of temperature, nitrogen deposition and soil. Biol Invasions 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-020-02225-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
8
|
Markkula I, Turunen M, Rasmus S. A review of climate change impacts on the ecosystem services in the Saami Homeland in Finland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 692:1070-1085. [PMID: 31539939 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this work is (i) to review the recent studies on weather and climate change in Finnish Sápmi and to present the literature review findings alongside our survey on the observations made by local reindeer herders on the same phenomena, and, further, (ii) to review the impacts of climate change on the ecosystem services (ES) in Finnish Sápmi. The focus of the study is on the impacts of climate change on those habitat, provisioning and cultural ecosystem services which are interconnected with the Saami way of life as Indigenous people and thus support the continuity of their culture. In the holistic world view of Arctic Indigenous peoples, material culture and non-material culture are not separated, and there is no boundary between nature and culture. However, cultural and spiritual meanings of ecosystems, species and landscapes are rarely taken into account in scientific research on ecosystems services. Our review indicates that mostly negative impacts of climate warming on ecosystems and traditional livelihoods are to be expected in Sápmi. The most profound negative impacts will be on palsa mire and fell ecosystems, in particular snowbeds, snow patches and mountain birch forests. Consequently, changes in ecosystems may erode cultural meanings, stories, memories and traditional knowledge attached to them and affect the nature-based traditional livelihoods. In a situation where our rapidly changing climate is affecting the foundations of the nature-based cultures, the present review can provide a knowledge base for developing adaptation actions and strategies for local communities and Indigenous peoples to cope with changes caused by climate change and other drivers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inkeri Markkula
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, POB 122, FI-96101 Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Minna Turunen
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, POB 122, FI-96101 Rovaniemi, Finland.
| | - Sirpa Rasmus
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, POB 122, FI-96101 Rovaniemi, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Saikkonen T, Vahtera V, Koponen S, Suominen O. Effects of reindeer grazing and recovery after cessation of grazing on the ground-dwelling spider assemblage in Finnish Lapland. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7330. [PMID: 31346502 PMCID: PMC6642629 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect of reindeer Rangifer tarandus L. grazing on the ground-dwelling spider assemblage in Northern Finland was studied. Changes in species richness, abundance and evenness of spider assemblages were analyzed in relation to changes in vegetation and environmental factors in long term grazed and ungrazed sites as well as sites that had recently switched from grazed to ungrazed and vice versa. Grazing was found to have a significant impact on height and biomass of lichens and other ground vegetation. However, it seemed not to have an impact on the total abundance of spiders. This is likely caused by opposing family and species level responses of spiders to the grazing regime. Lycosid numbers were highest in grazed and linyphiid numbers in ungrazed areas. Lycosidae species richness was highest in ungrazed areas whereas Linyphiidae richness showed no response to grazing. Four Linyphiidae, one Thomisidae and one Lycosidae species showed strong preference for specific treatments. Sites that had recovered from grazing for nine years and the sites that were grazed for the last nine years but were previously ungrazed resembled the long term grazed sites. The results emphasize the importance of reindeer as a modifier of boreal forest ecosystems but the impact of reindeer grazing on spiders seems to be family and species specific. The sites with reversed grazing treatment demonstrate that recovery from strong grazing pressure at these high latitudes is a slow process whereas reindeer can rapidly change the conditions in previously ungrazed sites similar to long term heavily grazed conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Teemu Saikkonen
- Zoological Museum, Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Varpu Vahtera
- Zoological Museum, Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Seppo Koponen
- Zoological Museum, Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Otso Suominen
- Kevo Subarctic Research Institute, Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
The Effects of Soils from Different Forest Types on the Growth of the Invasive Plant Phytolacca americana. FORESTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/f10060492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Due to increasing globalization and human disturbance, plant invasion has become a worldwide concern. Soil characteristics associated with the vegetation of recipient communities affect plant invasion success to a great extent. However, the relative importance of soil biotic and abiotic factors of different recipient communities in resisting plant invasion is not fully understood. We hypothesized that natural forest soils can better resist plant invasion than can plantation soils, that the allelopathic legacy of resident trees in soil plays a role in resisting invasive plants, and that late-successional soils have a strong effect. We examined the effects of soil and litter collected from four natural forests at successional stages and one Robinia pseudoacacia Linn. plantation in eastern China on the growth of Phytolacca americana L., which is a highly invasive species across China, and explored the individual effects of soil nutrients, allelochemicals, and soil microbes. We found that allelopathic activity of natural forest soils can effectively resist P. americana invasion, and that low level of nutrients, especially of phosphorus, in the soils might be potential limiting factors for the plant growth. The profound conditioning of soil resources by exotic R. pseudoacacia based on tree traits (including allelopathy) facilitated further P. americana invasion. Allelochemicals from forest litter inhibited the germination of P. americana seeds, but pH played a major role in P. americana growth when these substances entered the soil. However, we have no evidence that late-successional forest soils exhibit strong allelopathy toward P. americana. The present study will help to further our understanding of the mechanism of community resistance to invasion.
Collapse
|
11
|
Olofsson J, Post E. Effects of large herbivores on tundra vegetation in a changing climate, and implications for rewilding. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:rstb.2017.0437. [PMID: 30348880 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast to that of the Pleistocene epoch, between approximately 2.6 million and 10 000 years before present, the extant community of large herbivores in Arctic tundra is species-poor predominantly due to human extinctions. We here discuss how this species-poor herbivore guild influences tundra ecosystems, especially in relation to the rapidly changing climate. We show that present herbivore assemblages have large effects on tundra ecosystem composition and function and suggest that the effect on thermophilic species expected to invade the tundra in a warmer climate is especially strong, and that herbivores slow ecosystem responses to climate change. We focus on the ability of herbivores to drive transitions between different vegetation states. One such transition is between tundra and forest. A second vegetation transition discussed is between grasslands and moss- and shrub-dominated tundra. Contemporary studies show that herbivores can drive such state shifts and that a more diverse herbivore assemblage would have even higher potential to do so. We conclude that even though many large herbivores, and especially the megaherbivores, are extinct, there is a potential to reintroduce large herbivores in many arctic locations, and that doing so would potentially reduce some of the unwanted effects of a warmer climate.This article is part of the theme issue 'Trophic rewilding: consequences for ecosystems under global change'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johan Olofsson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Eric Post
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Carboni M, Guéguen M, Barros C, Georges D, Boulangeat I, Douzet R, Dullinger S, Klonner G, van Kleunen M, Essl F, Bossdorf O, Haeuser E, Talluto MV, Moser D, Block S, Conti L, Dullinger I, Münkemüller T, Thuiller W. Simulating plant invasion dynamics in mountain ecosystems under global change scenarios. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:e289-e302. [PMID: 28833915 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Across the globe, invasive alien species cause severe environmental changes, altering species composition and ecosystem functions. So far, mountain areas have mostly been spared from large-scale invasions. However, climate change, land-use abandonment, the development of tourism and the increasing ornamental trade will weaken the barriers to invasions in these systems. Understanding how alien species will react and how native communities will influence their success is thus of prime importance in a management perspective. Here, we used a spatially and temporally explicit simulation model to forecast invasion risks in a protected mountain area in the French Alps under future conditions. We combined scenarios of climate change, land-use abandonment and tourism-linked increases in propagule pressure to test if the spread of alien species in the region will increase in the future. We modelled already naturalized alien species and new ornamental plants, accounting for interactions among global change components, and also competition with the native vegetation. Our results show that propagule pressure and climate change will interact to increase overall species richness of both naturalized aliens and new ornamentals, as well as their upper elevational limits and regional range-sizes. Under climate change, woody aliens are predicted to more than double in range-size and herbaceous species to occupy up to 20% of the park area. In contrast, land-use abandonment will open new invasion opportunities for woody aliens, but decrease invasion probability for naturalized and ornamental alien herbs as a consequence of colonization by native trees. This emphasizes the importance of interactions with the native vegetation either for facilitating or potentially for curbing invasions. Overall, our work highlights an additional and previously underestimated threat for the fragile mountain flora of the Alps already facing climate changes, land-use transformations and overexploitation by tourism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Carboni
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine, CNRS, LECA, University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Maya Guéguen
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine, CNRS, LECA, University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Ceres Barros
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine, CNRS, LECA, University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Damien Georges
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine, CNRS, LECA, University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Isabelle Boulangeat
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Rolland Douzet
- Station Alpine Joseph Fourier, UMS 3370 UJF-CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Stefan Dullinger
- Division of Conservation Biology, Vegetation and Landscape Ecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Guenther Klonner
- Division of Conservation Biology, Vegetation and Landscape Ecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mark van Kleunen
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Franz Essl
- Division of Conservation Biology, Vegetation and Landscape Ecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Oliver Bossdorf
- Institute of Evolution & Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Emily Haeuser
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Matthew V Talluto
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine, CNRS, LECA, University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Dietmar Moser
- Division of Conservation Biology, Vegetation and Landscape Ecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Svenja Block
- Institute of Evolution & Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Luisa Conti
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Iwona Dullinger
- Division of Conservation Biology, Vegetation and Landscape Ecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Social Ecology, Faculty for Interdisciplinary Studies, Alps Adria University, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tamara Münkemüller
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine, CNRS, LECA, University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine, CNRS, LECA, University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Herbivores rescue diversity in warming tundra by modulating trait-dependent species losses and gains. Nat Commun 2017; 8:419. [PMID: 28871154 PMCID: PMC5583392 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00554-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate warming is altering the diversity of plant communities but it remains unknown which species will be lost or gained under warming, especially considering interactions with other factors such as herbivory and nutrient availability. Here, we experimentally test effects of warming, mammalian herbivory and fertilization on tundra species richness and investigate how plant functional traits affect losses and gains. We show that herbivory reverses the impact of warming on diversity: in the presence of herbivores warming increases species richness through higher species gains and lower losses, while in the absence of herbivores warming causes higher species losses and thus decreases species richness. Herbivores promote gains of short-statured species under warming, while herbivore removal and fertilization increase losses of short-statured and resource-conservative species through light limitation. Our results demonstrate that both rarity and traits forecast species losses and gains, and mammalian herbivores are essential for preventing trait-dependent extinctions and mitigate diversity loss under warming and eutrophication. Warming can reduce plant diversity but it is unclear which species will be lost or gained under interacting global changes. Kaarlejärvi et al. manipulate temperature, herbivory and nutrients in a tundra system and find that herbivory maintains diversity under warming by reducing species losses and promoting gains.
Collapse
|